Presidential Task Force commends MRCS in cholera response in Mangochi

Mangochi, August 23, Mana. National Coordinator for Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and Cholera, Brighton Mbaya has commended the Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) for combating cholera in Mangochi which resulted into Mangochi registering cholera reduced cases.

Mbaya and fellow National Task Force visited Bolera village, Traditional Authority Mponda in Mangochi on Tuesday to appreciate MRCS interventions on cholera outbreak that included provision of water supply system in the village that was hard hit by the water and food borne disease.

Speaking during the tour, Mbaya said that Mangochi was the worst hit by cholera but the district leadership and partners collaborated to ccontain the outbreak.

“What we have seen today is very impressivee, MRCS provided the community with water supplying system at Bolera Village,” he added.

He also observed that there was active community engagement at Traditional Authority Chimwala area saying initiatives in the area will help communities to adhere to best hygiene practices that will further help to stop cholera outbreak.

Mbaya said a recent declaration by government that cholera is no longer a health public concern in the country does not mean that cholera threat is over.

He therefore called on partners to continue supporting government with various interventions to stop cholera outbreak.

A total of 87 villages in 17 traditional authorities were affected since the confirmation of the first cholera case in 2022 as cumulatively Mangochi recorded 8,515 cases including 87 deaths.

In her remarks, MRCS Director of Programmes, Prisca Chisala commended the Presidential Task Force Team for the touring MRCS interventions in Mangochi, adding that this boosted the society’s morale in providing safe water and other cholera prevention supplies to ensure communities conducive and health environment.

“For the past months, we have been supporting the Malawi Government to combat cholera and Covid-19. On cholera, we looked at prevention and surveillance such that we trained MRCS volunteers and Health Surveillance Assistants in community based disease surveillance, epidemic control and WASH.” Chisala added.

On WASH interventions she said the MRCS mainly focused on access to safe water in cholera prone areas, adding that the MRCS drilled and rehabilitated boreholes,

“We have managed to rehabilitate over 100 boreholes since February last year," the MRCS Director of Programmes disclosed.

Chief Preventive Officer at the Mangochi District Health Office, Dr. Kondwani Mamba, said that the district is in the process of developing a plan with all stakeholders that are implementing various cholera interventions in the district.

Mamba added that the plan is important to the district because it will guide the authorities and its partners on cholera prevention and control.

MRCS in partnership with the Mangochi DHO is implementing various cholera interventions in Traditional Authority Luranga, Makanjira, and Mponda with Danish Red Cross, UNICEF and GIZ financial support.